How Much to Budget for Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic and Other Summer Music Festivals

This could be you, if you follow our cheapo guidelines for Fuji Rock. And timewarp back to the 70s. | Photo by Banalities used under CC

There are so, so many awesome music festivals that happen in the hot months in Japan. But with entry tickets alone costing upwards of 20,000 yen, and some degree of travel usually required, it can be a walletry (yes, we just made up a word) challenge for the cheapo. To give you an idea of how much you’ll need to budget to rock out at one (or all, maybe you’re a hardcore music fan like that) of the major festivals, we’ve put together this guide. So, read on and get ready to make some noise at Fuji Rock and the four other big events this summer.

Fuji Rock can be a real cosy experience. | Photo by Banalities used under CC

Fuji Rock Festival (28-30 July)

This is the godfather of Japanese music festivals. If you can only afford to go to one this summer, make it Fuji Rock Festival. The largest outdoor music event in Japan, it’s held at the Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. Over 100,000 people attend, and with the huge line-up of international and local names, that’s not surprising. In 2017, you can expect to see the likes of Bjork, Lorde, Queens of the Stone Age and more.

Tickets: 19,000 yen for a 1-day pass, 36,000 yen for a 2-day pass, and 43,000 yen for a 3-day pass. Cheaper if you buy before June 3rd. If you’re buying from outside Japan, you have to pay a small handling fee. Cool thing: kids under 15 get in free.

Transport: There are various ways of getting from Tokyo (assuming you’re there, or going through there anyway) to Fuji Rock. The easiest and most economical is taking a shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa Station and then a shuttle bus to the festival venue. For more details—and other options, read our dedicated guide to transport from Tokyo to Fuji Rock.

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Lodging: If you’re doing a day trip, this doesn’t apply. Most people going for two or the full three days camp, which costs 3,000 yen (and requires you to bring a tent, sleeping bag and all the rest). However, there are a number of ryokan and hotels nearby for more comfortable, private snoozetime. Lodge Charlie Brown is a good choice—at the time of writing this, many of the others were already sold out!

Once you’ve got your wristbands, you’re good to go. | Photo by kobakou used under CC

Summer Sonic (19-20 August)

Hot, sweaty and manic, Summer Sonic is a two-day affair that takes place in Chiba (just next to Tokyo) and Osaka simultaneously. Most of the artists shuttle between the two cities, playing on alternate days. Here, our focus is on the Chiba gig.

Secure your tickets to Summer Sonic, one of the hottest music festivals in Japan. Reserve a 1 or 2-day pass and receive eTickets that can be–click here for details

Suggested Activity

There are multiple stages in different areas (see below), so it’s a good idea to plan what you want to see, and when, before you roll through the gates. There is no camping at Summer Sonic—if you want to be there for both days, you’ll need to plan for two separate day trips. Headlining this year’s festival are names like Calvin Harris, 5 Seconds of Summer, Kesha, Sum 41, Pennywise and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Oh, and that Pikotaro chap will be there too.

There’s a warm-up concert called Sonicmania in Tokyo the Friday before the festival proper kicks off, and it costs 11,500 yen to attend.

Tickets: 16,500 yen for a regular 1-day pass, 30,500 yen for a regular 2-day pass. There is a “platinum” option for about twice the price (perks, yo), and a special weekend pass (including access to Sonicmania) is available for 39,500 yen for a limited period of time. If you’re buying your tickets from overseas, expect to pay a handling fee.

Transport: Take the train from wherever you are in Tokyo to Kaihimmakuhari Station on the JR Keiyo Line. It takes just over half an hour from Tokyo Station, and costs 550 yen. The stages at Makuhari Messe are about seven minutes away by foot, and the ones at Zozo Marine Stadium about 15 minutes away. For more deets and directions, have a look at our dedicated guide to getting to Summer Sonic in Chiba.

Lodging: Most people stay at their accommodation in Tokyo, but you can book into a hotel like Hotel New Otani or Daiwa Roynet Hotel in Chiba if you want to avoid traveling back and forth over the two days. There’s also the option of attending the “Hostess Club All-Nighter” on the Saturday, where you can skip sleep to see acts like Mogwai and The Horrors instead. This extra show costs 9,500 yen and several energy drinks to keep you going.

Summer Sonic is one for the to-do-in-Japan list. | Photo by monta used under CC

Ultra Japan (16-18 September)

One for the electronic music lovers, Ultra Japan is a massive late-summer event held at Odaiba Ultra Park in Tokyo. The three-day festival is part of the global Ultra Music Festival brand that can be found in 20+ countries. Japan’s version turns four years old this year. At the time of writing, the line-up had yet to be announced, but there are always mega names on the list. In 2016, fans partied to the sounds of Nero, deadmau5, Kygo, DJ Snake, Tiesto and more. This video gives you an idea of what to expect.

Tickets: 3-day tickets had already been sold out when we wrote this (a little overeager there, electronica heads), leaving regular 1-day tickets at 13,000 yen a pop. They might get pricier as the festival gets closer—so grab yours asap. There are VIP options available for 30,000 yen a piece, but those just make our cheapo souls ache. Note that you have to be over 20 to attend Ultra Japan.

Transport: The venue is a short walk from Aomi Station on the Yurikamome Line. To get there from Tokyo Station, you take the JR Yamanote Line to Shimbashi, then transfer to the Yurikamome Line. It takes about 30 minutes and costs 520 yen, making it a very easy trip.

The Rising Sun Rock Festival in Hokkaido is a goodie if you’re going to be up north. | Photo by Kentaro Ohno used under CC

Rising Sun Rock Festival (11-12 August)

This is a rock fest held out in the rurals of Otaru, Hokkaido. You’ll see “Ezo” on the festival flyers—that’s the historical name for Hokkaido, so don’t go asking people for directions to Ezo when you arrive in, well, Ezo. The Rising Sun Rock Festival has been running since 1999 and is a slightly more chilled event than its mad counterparts on Honshu. Another difference is its focus on domestic artists, with acts like UVERworld, B’z and go!go!vanillas taking to the stage this year.

Tickets: A 3-day pass (11-13 August) is 18,500 yen without a camping ticket, and 22,000 yen with one. A 1-day pass for the 11th is 9,300 yen, and for the 12th is 13,000 yen (you can stay until lunchtime on the 13th). Elementary schoolers get in free.

Transport: From Tokyo, the best way to get to the festival is by flying into Sapporo on a low-cost carrier and then taking the train. From New Chitose Airport you head to Sapporo Station, where you change to the subway and make for Asabu Station on the Nanboku Line. When you arrive there, you can catch a festival shuttle to the venue. The train part costs 1,840 yen and takes about an hour, and the shuttle is 600 yen and about a 20-minute ride.

Lodging: Most festivalgoers opt to camp, as the show goes on right into the night. Good chow can be procured from the food stalls at the venue. You could also stay at a hotel near Asabu and shuttle back and forth, if you aren’t one for tenting it. Hokkaido Sun Guest House and Untapped Hostel offer dirt-cheap beds, while HOTEL MYSTAYS Sapporo Station is a notch up. All are within 5km of Asabu Station.

Rock in Japan is not all that far out from Tokyo, making it an easy daytrip. | Photo by hildgrim used under CC

Rock in Japan (5-6, 11-12 August)

Meanwhile at the Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture (just northeast of Tokyo), a mammoth four-day celebration of J-Pop and J-Rock takes place over two weekends. This video conveys the overall vibe. 2017 sees Rock in Japan come of age, as the festival turns 18. You can expect a huge lineup that includes 9mm Parabellum Bullet, Total Fat, Dragon Ash, miwa, Radwimps and more. Tickets come out in batches and sell out super fast, so if you want to join the throngs of Japanese fans, you best get ready to move like lightning (greased, even).

Tickets: Single-day tickets are 13,000 yen, 2-day passes are 24,500 yen, and a full 4-day set is discounted at 42,000 yen.

Transport: To get to Hitachi Seaside Park, take a Limited Express on the JR Joban Line to Katsuta Station, then change to the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway and take it to Ajigaura Station. It takes around two hours and costs 4,390 yen. You can save about 1,500 yen by taking a regular train instead of a Limited Express, but it adds an extra hour to your travel time. The seaside park is a 20-minute walk from Ajigaura Station.

Lodging: You can pitch a tent at the official Camp Village, 15 minutes away from the venue, for 13,000 yen (that’s for one night, ouch). You can, in theory, also crash at a hotel in the Hitachinaka area—though the closest vacancies were 30+km away when we looked! So, get ready to rough it, we guess.

Even bunnies get to rock out at music festivals in Japan. As long as they’re cardboard cutouts, anyway. | Photo by Banalities used under CC

At all of these festivals, you’ll need some fodder, so we recommend setting aside a few thousand yen for food and drink. Some festivals get a bit iffy about people bringing in their own beverages or snacks, and guards might check your bag when you go in. If you must smuggle, do so strategically. But it’s better to buy from the myriad vendors selling all manner of tasty treats at the venue. Fresh pad thai, anyone?

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